Stubborn William will have to rely on closest family
Together – and yet so far apart. Brothers united in lifelong grief over the death of their mother are now divided, perhaps eternally, by bitterness and anger. Last night William and Harry took part in the same event, but separated by some 5,000 miles. Apparently they cannot even bring themselves to appear together – with Harry on a video link from California – at the same time. How sad is that?
The occasion is something they both care about deeply: the 25th anniversary of the Diana Legacy Award, which was set up to promote the Princess’s belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
And these are two (relatively young) men who have global platforms that allow them to try to do just that. The tragedy is that, together, they would be an even more forceful unit. What a tribute to Diana it would be if they seized this opportunity to move on from all the acrimony and change their relationship for the better. But that is clearly not on their agenda.
William is renowned for his stubbornness and Harry has shown that he knows how to hold a grudge. The younger brother’s brutally frank memoir, Spare, drove a cart-and-horses-sized wedge between them. He recounted a seminal moment after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral when the brothers began shouting at each other. According to Harry, William said: “Harold, you must listen to me! I just want you to be happy, Harold. I swear, I swear on mummy’s life.”
Harry continues: “He stopped. I stopped. Pa stopped. He’d gone there. He’d used the secret code, the universal password. Ever since we were boys those three words were to be used only in times of extreme crisis… My voice broke as I told him softly: ‘I really don’t think you do.’”
If Harry truly believes that his brother doesn’t want him to be happy, it’s hard to see how things can ever get better.
Both Princes have been open about how much they miss their mother and how often they think about her. Happiness was all that Diana wanted for her boys. And, like any mother, she would be heartbroken by the feud which has severed their brotherly bond.
If she had lived, I believe she would have found a way to placate them. Indeed, the feud might never have happened.
But William now faces the prospect of becoming king with a drastically reduced support unit around him. Eventually, he will have his children, George, Charlotte and Louis to help shoulder the workload. It is, after all, only eight years until George comes of age, and it may be that he will have to take up royal duties earlier than his parents might have wished. It would be easier if Harry and his family were part of the core group.
But, as Harry himself wrote, William’s stubbornness is “extraordinary”, and he appears to have set his mind on a future without the Sussexes. They, in any case, have shown no inclination to return to the royal goldfish bowl.
Being stubborn may not be such a bad thing in a monarch. With so many competing demands on him, a clearly defined focus and determination to stick to his principles may serve William well.
The past couple of years – and the last week or so – have been tough for him and Catherine. And, although it’s incredibly sad to see the brothers still so hopelessly adrift, I think people will forgive the future king for stubbornly putting his wife, children and father first.
People will forgive him for putting his wife, children and father first
Jennie Bond was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years